1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a photosensitive material, which is equipped with an integration device which, after an exposed photosensitive material is processed, counts or integrates the amount of the processed photosensitive material or amounts of replenishing fluid, to determined the time to change a filter which filters a processing solution or the time to change the processing solution.
2. Description of the Related Art
A photosensitive material upon which images are exposed, e.g., a silver halide photographic film, is processed continuously through developing, fixing, and washing processes in a developing apparatus. In the apparatus, processing solutions stored in processing tanks, such as developer solution stored in a developing tank and fixing solution in a fixing tank, are respectively circulated through circulation paths such that the used solution may be reused. Filters, which filter the processing solutions, are provided in the circulation paths.
Components of the processing solutions are consumed in accordance with the amount of photosensitive material processed. Therefore, in order to compensate for this consumption, respective replenishing solutions are replenished to the processing solutions. In an apparatus for processing a photosensitive lithographic printing plate, for example, a PS plate or a waterless lithographic printing plate, the plate is processed through steps of developing, rinsing, squeezing, desensitizing processes and the like. In this apparatus, the plate is treated with a developer solution, rinsed with fresh developer solution or with water, squeezed and desensitized. These solutions are respectively stored in the tanks and are circulated through circulation paths. The circulation paths are provided with filters for removing solid particles which tend to particulate in the solutions.
In any of these processes, when processing is effected over a certain period of time, it has been found that the solutions become dirty, the processing performance deteriorates, and the filters become clogged. Therefore, the processing solutions in the tanks must be replaced with new solutions, and the filters must be changed after the certain period of time. Integrated or added values of the amounts of processed photosensitive material and the integrated amount of replenishing solution are used as criteria for determining the time to change the processing solutions and the time to change the filters.
However, in these processing apparatuses, when the processing solutions are replaced and the filters are changed, integration devices or the like used to integrate the amount of processed photosensitive material and the amounts of replenishing solution must be reset manually by an operator. If the operator forgets to reset the integration device, the replacing of the processing solutions and the time when the filter should be changed are inaccurate.